I Want to be friends with you | L.K Adaptation

Chapter. 9 - Holding Hands

"I gave it to her. Yesterday, she was sad and depressed, because the pomegranate withered and rotted away. She intended to give the pomegranate to her aunt, but before doing so, it had wilted away".

When Aunt Bae saw Jungkook's message, she was shocked, then, she suddenly burst into tears. Her tears kept streaming down her face, and no matter how hard she tried, they wouldn't stop. It was as if something and hit her heart.

Uncle Bae thought that something bad had happened. He ran to her, and then read the message. After digesting the message. Uncle Bae now realized what was going on. He embraced Aunt Bae and said, "I remember the day, when we picked her up from her first day at school. You mentioned that your colleagues gave everyone pomegranates, but you did not receive any. It seems she remembered it".

Aunt Bae again to tear up again. She thought that her little daughter was altruistically trying to make her happy.

Little Lisa's circumstances were always different from other children. Many people even told her that it might be very difficult for Lisa to open up to them, when they adopted her, for she was older, and engraved deeply in her heart, as if tormenting her, were the physical and mental scars of her past.

But, she never cared about these issues. She decided to adopt and raise her like her own daughter, she didn't want anything else. All she hoped for Lili to be happy and prosperous.

Early the next morning, Lisa woke up, and she noticed that her aunt's eye were swollen with a reddish tint. She knew this situation well. Every time her aunt cried, her eyes would become swollen. But her aunt hadn't cried in a long time, why did she cry now? Lili felt little disconcerted.

During her past, when her mother cried, and Lisa asked about it, she would be beaten as a result....

She wasn't afraid that her aunt would strike her. She definitely won't strike her. But Lisa's past still scarred and tormented her deeply. She recalled how her mother beat her, when she asked her why she cried. She doesn't want her aunt to feel uncomfortable.

Although Aunt Bae's voice was slightly hoarse, she was in a cheerful mood. She declared to Uncle Bae, "The pomegranates that I bought yesterday are gone and now, I feel down...."

After absorbing what Aunt Bae had said, Lili now realized why she was despondent and cried. She realized that it was because pomegranates was gone.

A though suddenly occurred to Little Lisa. She didn't give the pomegranate that she bought for her aunt. She felt joyful that she didn't give it to her last night. She quickly ran to the living room, opened her schoolbag and found the pomegranate inside. Her big does eyes instantly glinted with joy.

Lisa took it out and held it with both of her hands. Then, she recalled all the way to the kitchen, "Auntie, Auntie...."

Aunt Bae turned around and saw her little daughter holding up a pomegranate. Lisa's eyes were sparkling with joy. But after her aunt turned head towards her, Lisa felt a trace of embarrassment, lowered her head and awkwardly said, "Pomegranate...."

Aunt Bae squatted down and asked, "Does Lili want to give it to her aunt?" Aunt Bae took the pomegranate and gently hugged her, "Auntie is very happy".

Lisa caught slight traces of melancholy and sorrow in her Auntie's voice, almost as if she was about to cry, even though she exuded heartfelt joy and exhilaration. She couldn't understand this emotional contradiction. She reached out her hand and embraced Aunt Bae to comfort her.

Uncle Bae stood next to the them and saw this scene unfold: "...."

He felt fortunate that he resisted all attempts at persuasion and increasing pressure, when he decided to support his wife's decision to adopt Lili. After all, where else could he find such a well-behaved and filial daughter.

The couple always desired to have children but because of fertility reasons, they couldn't have any. Uncle Bae felt that Lisa was much better than the troublesome children of his brother.

Aunt Bae peeled the pomegranate and the three of them ate it along with some noodles for breakfast. This was the first time that Lisa had eaten pomegranate. She absolutely adored its taste.

After finishing breakfast, Aunt Bae helped Lisa pack her schoolbag and change her cloths. Before departing, a thought suddenly struck Lisa. She hurried back to the room and put the packet of dried meat into her schoolbag.

After her arrival at school, Lisa saw Jungkook, who was already sitting in his seat and was rushing through his homework.

When Jungkook saw her, he greeted her "Good morning, Lisa!"

He seldom did his homework at home because....his mother works at the Education Bureau. She strongly advocated for alleviating the burden of homework for children. She believed that children should go out, play everyday and enjoy their childhood.

Lisa sat in her seat and placed her schoolbag under her desk. Her little hands unzipped her schoolbag and she took out the packet of dried meat. She felt hesitant and ambivalent about whether to give this to Jungkook or not, but then she recalled yesterday's events.

Lisa's doubts and ambivalence quickly dispersed, as she produced the packet of dried meat out of her school bag and offered it to  Jungkook. However, she dared not look into his eyes and only whispered, "This is for you"

Jungkook was astounded, when he saw the packet the dried meat inside and said with gratitude, "Thank You, Lisa"

He immediately accepted it and thought that the two of them could eat it together in a moment.

After accepting it, Jungkook held his pen again and returned to his homework. His hands were concealed by his sleeves.

Yesterday, Lisa held hands with Rose. Rose also told her that they would be good friends in the future, therefore, she is even more determined to become friends with Jungkook. She had to hold hands, otherwise, they wouldn't be good friends.

Because he had treated her very well and was so great, she wanted to befriend Jungkook.

But seeing Jungkook earnestly doing his homework, she doesn't want to disturb him.

One by one, the classmates arrived. They greeted both Jungkook and Lisa.

Lisa was a bit shy. But, she knew that everyone was a child and replied back, "Good morning".

After she uttered the first sentence, she realized that it wasn't difficult for her to speak to them.

A wave of excitement and joy swept over her, although she didn't understand why she felt these warm, exuberant emotions.

Jungkook was also in high spirits, as he felt that Lisa had made great progress.

At this time, Hoseok ran in with his schoolbag on his back. After arriving at little Lisa's table, he took out his favorite vanilla-flavored wafer packet from his schoolbag and presented it to Lisa, "For....for you".

This astounded Lisa. After a while, Little Hoseok squatted and said, "I....I....in the future....will...i will protect....you...."

Little Hoseok, himself, was a little shy and he didn't wait for Little Lisa to respond. He dashed back to his seat quickly.

Lisa blinked, and Jungkook said, "Don't be afraid, he just wants to be your friend".

Lisa hummed in acknowledgement and saw Rose walking inside the classroom, while holding hands with a girl. She carefully stretched out hand and attempted to grasp Jungkook's hand.

Jungkook continued with his homework for he still had some unfinished questions.

Lisa retracted her hand, interlocker both of her hands together and placed them on the desk. Staring at her hands, she thought that if she held hands with others, just like this, that they would be good friends.

Jungkook was writing and looked at Lisa, who was ruminating cutely. He thought that he shouldn't change schools for now, since she is naive and could be bullied easily, he need to protect her.